Dinner
Khoresh Gheymeh with Crispy Potatoes
This Persian stew pairs lamb or beef with yellow split peas, dried lime, saffron and crisp fried potatoes.
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Cuisine
- Persian
Serving ideas
Serve over basmati rice with the crispy potatoes on top and Shirazi salad on the side.
Ingredients
See the ingredient checklist
- 1/2 cup Iranian lappeh, chana dal or slow-cooking yellow split peas, rinsed
- 1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil, plus 1 tbsp for the peas
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 lb lamb or beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cinnamon stick, 3 inches
- saffron threads, a large pinch
- sugar, a pinch, optional
- 4 dried limes, or 3 to 4 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
- fresh lime or lemon juice, to finish, as needed
- water, for soaking and simmering
- 1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled, cut into matchsticks and soaked in cold water
- 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, optional
- kosher salt, to taste
- basmati rice, for serving
Before you cook
Parcooking the peas separately lets you check that they are tender enough to finish in the stew while holding their shape.
How to make Khoresh Gheymeh with Crispy Potatoes
Soak the peas in 3 cups cold water for 1 hour. Separately, bring a kettle of water to a boil and keep it hot.
Heat 1/4 cup oil over medium in a Dutch oven. Cook the onion until golden, stirring more often as it browns. Season lightly, add turmeric and stir until fragrant. Add the meat and brown it, then season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the tomato paste over medium-low for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick and enough hot water to cover the meat. Cover and simmer on low for about 1 hour.
Grind the saffron, using a pinch of sugar if needed, and steep it in 2 tablespoons hot water. Pierce the dried limes and soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain.
Drain the split peas. Stir them in the remaining tablespoon of oil for 3 minutes, then add 4 cups hot water and a teaspoon of salt. Partly cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until just tender, then drain.
Stir the peas, dried limes and half the saffron water into the stew. Cover and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes. Press the limes lightly against the side of the pot to release their flavor.
Remove the cinnamon. Add the remaining saffron water and fresh citrus juice to taste. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes more and adjust the thickness with hot water if needed.
Dry the potato matchsticks well. Fry in hot oil in a high-sided pan until golden and crisp, about 7 to 9 minutes, adding turmeric partway through if using. Drain and season with salt.
The full recipe
Check off ingredients as you get them ready.
The ingredient list scales when you change the servings. Adjust any quantities mentioned in the steps to match your batch.
Khoresh Gheymeh with Crispy Potatoes
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Ingredients
- ½ cup Iranian lappeh, chana dal or slow-cooking yellow split peas rinsed
- ¼ cup olive or vegetable oil plus 1 tbsp for the peas
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 tsp ground turmeric- 1 lb lamb or beef stew meat cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cinnamon stick 3 inches
- saffron threads a large pinch
- sugar a pinch, optional
- 4 dried limes or 3 to 4 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
- fresh lime or lemon juice to finish, as needed
- water for soaking and simmering
- 1 large Yukon Gold potato peeled, cut into matchsticks and soaked in cold water
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
- ½ tsp ground turmeric optional
- kosher salt to taste
- basmati rice for serving
Instructions
- Soak the peas in 3 cups cold water for 1 hour. Separately, bring a kettle of water to a boil and keep it hot.
- Heat 1/4 cup oil over medium in a Dutch oven. Cook the onion until golden, stirring more often as it browns. Season lightly, add turmeric and stir until fragrant. Add the meat and brown it, then season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the tomato paste over medium-low for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick and enough hot water to cover the meat. Cover and simmer on low for about 1 hour.
- Grind the saffron, using a pinch of sugar if needed, and steep it in 2 tablespoons hot water. Pierce the dried limes and soak them in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain.
- Drain the split peas. Stir them in the remaining tablespoon of oil for 3 minutes, then add 4 cups hot water and a teaspoon of salt. Partly cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until just tender, then drain.
- Stir the peas, dried limes and half the saffron water into the stew. Cover and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes. Press the limes lightly against the side of the pot to release their flavor.
- Remove the cinnamon. Add the remaining saffron water and fresh citrus juice to taste. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes more and adjust the thickness with hot water if needed.
- Dry the potato matchsticks well. Fry in hot oil in a high-sided pan until golden and crisp, about 7 to 9 minutes, adding turmeric partway through if using. Drain and season with salt.
Notes
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